China brand sparks backlash for 'welcome to hell' kid's shirt

A popular Chinese clothing brand has apologised for producing a shirt for children with phrases such as "welcome to hell" and "let me touch you" on it.

JNBY has pulled the item - which also features images of the Grim Reaper - after a mother's online complaint went viral.

She says her family bought it for her four-year-old son without understanding the meaning.

It has emerged that JNBY has produced controversial clothing in the past.

"Welcome to hell. Excuse me? Who are you welcoming?", the mother wrote on social media platform Weibo.

People have since shared photos of other controversial pieces produced by the Hong Kong-listed company.

For example, a black coat allegedly had an image of a person being shot by arrows, along with the words: "The whole place is full of Indians. I will take this gun and blow them to pieces."

Many Weibo users asked why the brand has not been penalised before.

"I don't know if the designs were deliberate, but surely there are others in the whole company who can understand their meaning?", one person commented, referring to how it is not uncommon for some Chinese brands to print text in languages other than Chinese on items.

JNBY put out the apology on the Instagram-like app Xiaohongshu, saying it had received complaints about "inappropriate prints" on its clothing and was sorry for it.

It added that the brand's design philosophy has always been "freedom of imagination", and that its original intention was to put out more "unique" creations.

"But we also understand that what's most important is to pass on good values," the company said, saying that it has treated the incident as a "warning".

"In future, we will do better in incorporating innovative and creative designs with good values."